Biodiversity Net Gain Resources

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a mandatory part of the planning process across England for major developments and small sites. Here you can find a handy reading list to help get to grips with this new approach.

Previous consultation response from Government

• Government response and summary of responses – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Environment Act (primary legislation)

• Environment Act 2021 (legislation.gov.uk)

Regulations (secondary legislation)

Register:

• The Biodiversity Gain Site Register Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Biodiversity Gain Site Register (Financial Penalties and Fees) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)

Exemptions:

• The Biodiversity Gain Requirements (Exemptions) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)

Irreplaceable habitats:

• The Biodiversity Gain Requirements (Irreplaceable Habitat) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)

TCPA consequential amendments/modifications:

• The Biodiversity Gain (Town and Country Planning) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)
• The Biodiversity Gain (Town and Country Planning) (Modifications and Amendments) (England) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)

Guidance

• Biodiversity net gain – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Metric user guides/statutory metric calculation tool

• Statutory biodiversity metric tools and guides – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Planning practice guidance

• Planning practice guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Suggested Biodiversity Gain Information paragraphs for written decision notice

Land use blogs (no statutory weight)

• 10 actions local planning authorities can take to prepare for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Irreplaceable habitats and BNG: what you need to know – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Off-site BNG: what can you do after 30 years? – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• The biodiversity gain plan: draft template and guidance – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Local Nature Recovery Strategies: coordinating and collaborating on action for nature – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Incorporating Local Nature Recovery Strategies when Planning for Biodiversity Net Gain – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Biodiversity Net Gain for land managers – step-by-step flowcharts – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Biodiversity Net Gain for land managers – step-by-step flowcharts – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Biodiversity net gain guidance – what you need to know – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Natural England’s habitat management and monitoring plan templates – Guest Natural England Blog (Mike Burke, Head of Sustainable Development) – Environment
• Creating a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan for Biodiversity Net Gain – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• The Statutory Biodiversity Metric: what it means for biodiversity net gain and biodiversity measurement – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Biodiversity Net Gain – what are the exemptions? – Environment (blog.gov.uk)
• Biodiversity Net Gain is live – Environment (blog.gov.uk)

Webinars

• The Statutory Biodiversity Metric for Mandatory BNG webinar
• Biodiversity Net Gain for Watercourse webinar
• Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain: The Policy
• Biodiversity Net Gain: Trees and Woods hosted by Arboricultural Association
• Planning Advisory Service co-ordinate regular interactive webinars with DEFRA, DLUHC, NE and LPA’s to facilitate the integration of BNG into practice, the recorded webinars are publicly available on their YouTube account paswebmaster – YouTube